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Tu BiSh'vat Social Action Guide

Modern-day Jews celebrate Tu BiSh'vat by expressing joy and thankfulness for trees, harvests, and the natural world. Many Jews plant trees at home and in Israel, and eat delicious fruits and greens in celebration of this “New Year of the Trees.” During this agricultural festival, Jews around the world consider our obligation to care for the environment and our sacred responsibility to share the fruits of God’s earth with all.

You can incorporate social justice themes into your Tu BiSh'vat celebration in the following ways.

Host a Tu BiSh'vat Social Action Seder

Infuse your Tu BiShvat seder with environmental education to give modern meaning to this celebration. Many such seders focus on the natural world and our responsibility to protect it, like this Tu BiSh'vat seder, published by the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC) and the North American Federation for Temple Youth (NFTY). In keeping with the nature of this holiday, this seder is a call to action, a time of education and reflection at we examine our impact on the world around us and commit to changing the way we interact with our environment.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

In honor of Tu BiSh'vat, make a commitment as a family or with friends to focus on one or more of these environmental practices:

Reduce waste by buying products that use less packaging.

Use the reverse side of paper as scrap paper or for art projects.

Learn about your community’s most up-to-date regulations on recycling.

Get Back to Nature

Adopting natural areas, such as parks, streams, and roadsides, are projects individuals of all ages can get involved in to enhance the beauty and environmental quality of natural green spaces. Together with family members and friends, you can informally “adopt” an area simply by pledging to clean it regularly and advocating to the local government for its needs; in some areas, more formal adoption programs are available. Cleaning up a natural area near home can make a big difference – not only to the ecological health of the area itself, but to the esteem of the neighborhood around the area. Helping restore such areas may also give local children a safe place to play.

Prepare an Organic Oneg

Organic food is produced according to organic standards, which means crops are grown without the use of conventional pesticides or artificial fertilizers, animals are reared without the routine use of antibiotics or growth hormones, and food is processed without ionizing radiation or food additives. Introduce congregants to organic foods by organizing an “organic oneg” in which community members bring to the synagogue organic produce and foods for a Shabbat dinner or oneg. Alternatively, host an “organic tasting” where blindfolded attendees are asked to taste different foods and determine which are organic and which are not. This program allows members to see for themselves that organic food tastes just as good as “regular” food and educates members about safe food measures. Include traditional Tu BiSh'vat foods like barley, dates, figs, grapes, pomegranates, olives, and wheat, which are native to Israel.

To learn more about environmental justice and how you can get involved, visit the Religious Action Center’s environment issues page. You can learn about the GreenFaith Energy Shield program, which guides congregations to become leaders in sustainable practices, and you can take action by urging your Members of Congress to support funding to help vulnerable communities adapt to the impacts of climate change.